Fault isolation in data communications centers

ABSTRACT

Certain aspects of the disclosure are directed to fault isolation in data communications centers. According to a specific example, a data communications server is provided including circuitry configured and arranged to isolate quality or termination issues in a data communications center. The data communications server may retrieve server data relating to data communications routed by the data communications server, and receive from a plurality of endpoint devices communicatively coupled to the data communications server, endpoint data relating to the routed communications. The data communications server may identify data communications quality or data communications termination issues based on the server data and the endpoint data, and identify at least one zone among a plurality of zones of the data communications center associated with the data communications quality or data communications termination issues using a tiered fault isolation process and based on the server data and endpoint data.

OVERVIEW

Aspects of various embodiments are directed to fault isolation in datacommunications centers. Data communications centers have allowedindividuals to transmit data communications using broadband Internetconnections in place of traditional telephone lines. A communicationsendpoint device can use a broadband Internet connection to connect to adata communications server that is managed by a data communicationsservice provider. The data communications server can handle datacommunications routing and provide other data communications servicesfor the communications endpoint device.

Computing servers are increasingly being used to provide various datacommunications services over a network including, but not limited to,routing of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls and/or data serviceproviders for providing communications services such as messaging, videoconferencing, management of data communications exchange servers, packetswitching, traffic management, website hosting, remote data storage,remote computing services, and management of virtual computingenvironments, among other examples. For ease of reference, the variousapplications, systems and services that may be provided by suchcomputing servers may be collectively referred to as data communicationsservices.

SUMMARY

Various example embodiments are directed to issues such as thoseaddressed above and/or others which may become apparent from thefollowing disclosure concerning systems and methods for fault isolationin a data communications center.

In an example embodiment, an apparatus includes a data communicationsserver configured to provide data communications for a plurality ofendpoint devices associated with respective ones of a plurality ofdisparate client entities. The data communications server may providethe data communications, for example, by setting up servicerelationships with a plurality of disparate client entities, andproviding data communications based on the service relationships. Theapparatus also includes circuitry configured and arranged to map a datacommunications center to a series of zones and isolate datacommunications quality or termination issues to one of the series ofzones. For instance, the circuitry can be configured and arranged toprocess a series of sequential analyses to isolate a particular zone ofthe data communications center from which the issue is arising.

In another example embodiment, a fault isolation server is provided forfault isolation in a data communications center. The fault isolationserver may include circuitry configured and arranged to receive from aplurality of endpoint devices communicatively coupled to a datacommunications server, endpoint data relating to data communicationsrouted within the data communications center. The fault isolation servermay also include circuitry configured and arranged to receive from atleast one data communications server, server data relating to the routeddata communications and isolate an identified data communicationsquality issue to a particular zone or plurality of zones in the datacommunications center. The fault isolation server may isolate theidentified issue based on the endpoint data and the server data, andusing a data communications quality analysis. The fault isolation servermay isolate the quality or termination issue by identifying at least onezone among a plurality of zones of the data communications centerassociated with the data communications quality or data communicationstermination issues using a tiered fault isolation process and includingthe server data and endpoint data, by analyzing communications issues atdifferent tiered levels of common failure aspects. The fault isolationserver may further include circuitry configured and arranged to provideon a user interface, a recommended resolution to address the datacommunications quality issue in response to the isolation of the datacommunications quality issue. In further example embodiments, the faultisolation server may include circuitry configured and arranged toisolate an identified data communications termination issue in the datacommunications center based on the endpoint data and the server data,and to provide a recommended resolution to the termination issue inresponse to the isolation.

The above discussion/summary is not intended to describe each embodimentor every implementation of the present disclosure. The figures anddetailed description that follow also exemplify various embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

Various example embodiments may be more completely understood inconsideration of the following detailed description in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an example system for providing datacommunications for endpoints of a plurality of client accounts,consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an example system for providing Platformas a Service (PaaS) remote services for endpoints of a plurality ofclient accounts, consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of an example method for fault isolation ina data communications center; and

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of an example method for fault isolation ina data communications center.

While various embodiments discussed herein are amenable to modificationsand alternative forms, aspects thereof have been shown by way of examplein the drawings and will be described in detail. It should beunderstood, however, that the intention is not to limit the disclosureto the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intentionis to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives fallingwithin the scope of the disclosure including aspects defined in theclaims. In addition, the term “example” as used throughout thisapplication is only by way of illustration, and not limitation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the present disclosure are believed to be applicable to avariety of different types of apparatuses, systems and methods involvingproviding remote services for endpoint devices associated with aplurality of different client accounts. In certain implementations,aspects of the present disclosure have been shown to be beneficial whenused in the context of providing data communications services. While thedisclosure is not necessarily limited to data communications centers inthe form of a Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service(PaaS), as used in the following discussion to exemplify certainspecific advantageous embodiments.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward aninterface that allows for isolation of data communications issues to aparticular area of the data communications center. The particular areaor areas within the data communications center may be referred to as“zones” of the data communications center within which the issue orproblem is expected to be. Such fault isolation may include eliminatingthese zones until a single zone remains. To eliminate the zones whichare not experiencing a fault, a hierarchal analysis (e.g., a series ofprobing questions) may be performed that is designed to efficiently andaccurately determine a probable root cause of the data communicationsissues, and to outline what actions need to be taken to resolve theissue.

As an illustrative example, a data communications center may bepartitioned into various zones, each zone including different, butconnected, aspects of the data communications center. A first zone mayinclude various endpoint devices including interne protocol privatebranch exchanges (IPBXs) acting as a telephone system that switches datacommunications between enterprise users on local lines while allowingall users to share a certain number of external phone lines (that aresupported by telephone carriers and individually addressable within apublic switched telephone network).

As another example, the first zone may include various endpoint devicesincluding IPBXs that can provide Direct Inward Dialing (DID) as aservice where a telephone carrier provides a block of telephone numbersthat are each routed to an IPBX system rather than to individualtelephone lines. Using DID, individual phone numbers can be provided toeach person or workstation without separate physical lines tied into theIPBX for each possible connection. The first zone may include theconnections between these various endpoints, to a respective router,modem or gateway. The first zone may include the entirety of a localarea network (LAN). In another example, a second zone may includeconnections between the LAN and the data communications servers. Thiszone may include the physical connection and signaling that passesthrough an interne service provider (ISP). Additional and/or differentzones are described more fully herein. In each of the above examples,aspects of the instant disclosure are directed to isolating datacommunications center issues relative to such zones.

In the following description, various specific details are set forth todescribe more specific examples. It should be apparent to one skilled inthe art, however, that one or more other examples and/or variations ofthese examples may be practiced without all the specific details givenbelow. In other instances, well known features have not been describedin detail so as not to obscure the description of the examples herein.For ease of illustration, the different diagrams can refer to the sameelements, more specific embodiments, or additional instances of the sameelement. Also, although aspects and features may in some cases bedescribed in individual figures, it will be appreciated that featuresfrom one figure or embodiment can be combined with features of anotherfigure or embodiment even when the combination is not explicitly shownor explicitly described as a combination. For ease of explanation, someexamples may be primarily described with reference to datacommunications servers configured to provide data communicationsservices for endpoints of a plurality of different client accounts. Itis understood that the various examples may be adapted for use withcomputing servers configured to provide various communications services,including but not limited to, routing of data messages/packets, VoIPcalls, video conferencing, management of data communications exchangeservers, packet switching, traffic management, management of virtualcomputing environments, routing of text and chat messages, websitehosting, remote data storage, and remote computing services, among otherservices.

In one specific example embodiment, a data communications centerincludes one or more data communications servers configured to providedata communications for sets of endpoint devices of respective clientaccounts. Each of the endpoint devices includes datacommunications-enabled circuitry, and may include for example, IPphones, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers, plain old telephoneservice (POTS) telephones, and cellular-capable devices among otherexample devices with circuitry configured and arranged to facilitatesending and receipt of data communications. Each endpoint device isrespectively associated with an account of a respective client. Endpointdevices may be associated with a particular client account byregistering the endpoint device with a particular client accountserviced by the data communications server(s). Registered devices foreach client account may be specified in a respective account settingsfile accessible by the data communications server(s).

In different embodiments, it will also be appreciated that featuresdiscussed herein operate with the contemplated data communicationsserver(s) providing data communications using various processes andcircuits. As one example, the data communications server(s) may providedata communications by routing and establishing data communications forthe endpoint of each of the plurality of disparate client entities, andgenerating data communications event data for the routed datacommunications. A particular example of a data communications server mayuse session initiation protocol (SIP) to handle various datacommunications functions (e.g., data communications setup and teardown). However, the various embodiments discussed herein are notnecessarily limited thereto. Consistent with the above and in otherembodiments disclosed herein, the data communications servers can beconfigured to establish a leg of the data communications from oneendpoint device (or dial peer) to another endpoint device or to agateway.

Consistent with the above-characterized embodiments, a computing servermay be configured to isolate a fault in a data communications center.The computing server may include circuitry configured to receive inputdata from endpoint devices and data communications servers in the datacommunications center. The computing server may process a series ofsequential analyses based on the received input data to isolate datacommunications quality and/or termination issues associated with aparticular zone of the data communications center. If quality issuesaffect the data communications center, the computing server may performa communications quality analysis, whereas if termination issues affectthe data communications center, the computing server may perform atermination analysis. The quality analysis and the termination analysismay include a series of sequential analyses performed by the computingserver to isolate the source of the quality issue or the terminationissue. The computing server that performs the quality analysis and/orthe termination analysis may include the data communications centerserver (such as a server also engaged in routing data communications toand/or from communications endpoints) and/or a designated faultisolation server configured and arranged specifically for isolatingfaults within the data communications center.

As a specific example, a data communications server may includecircuitry configured and arranged to retrieve data relating to datacommunications routed by the data communications server. The datacommunications server may also receive from a plurality of endpointdevices communicatively coupled to the data communications server,endpoint data relating to the routed data communications. Using theserver data and endpoint data, the data communications server mayidentify data communications quality or termination issues, and identifyat least one zone among a plurality of zones of the data communicationscenter associated with the identified quality or termination issues. Inisolating the quality or termination issues to one or a plurality ofzones of the data communications center, the data communications servermay use a tiered fault isolation algorithm. For example, the datacommunications server can be configured to initiate such a datacommunications quality analysis in response to criteria such asidentification of a dropped data communication, poor audio performance,and/or one-way audio (or a combination thereof). In another example, thetiered fault isolation process may be a data communications terminationanalysis, in which the data communications server is configured andarranged to initiate the termination analysis in response toidentification of at least one of an inability to receive inbound datacommunications, an inability to dial outbound, and an inability to diala specific area code or region.

The data communications server carrying out the fault isolation analysismay isolate a source of the quality or termination issues in a number ofways. In some instances, the data communications server may correlate anincidence of the identified quality or termination issues to a hardwareor software change in the data communications center. For instance, thedata communications server may correlate recent firmware updates, newnetwork devices, changes to the operating system, or changes with theinternet service provider with the identified quality or terminationissues. Such correlation may be in addition to the quality analysisand/or the termination analysis. Additional network analyses may beperformed by the data communications server and/or the fault isolationserver. For example, the data communications server may be configuredand arranged to initiate a speed test of the data communications center,a network utility application, verify router settings, and/or verifyingthat endpoints are using a correct virtual local area network (VLAN).Such network analyses may be initiated by the data communications server(and/or the dedicated fault isolation server, as the case may be) inresponse to a determination that quality issues are present for athreshold period of time (e.g., that the data communications qualityissues are constant).

In another specific example, a fault isolation server of a datacommunications center is provided. The fault isolation server mayinclude circuitry configured and arranged to receive from a plurality ofendpoint devices communicatively coupled to a data communicationsserver, endpoint data relating to data communications routed within thedata communications center. The fault isolation server may also receivefrom at least one data communications server, server data relating tothe routed data communications. The fault isolation server may identifyat least one zone among a plurality of zones of the data communicationscenter associated with the data communications quality or datacommunications termination issues using a tiered fault isolation processand including the server data and endpoint data, by analyzingcommunications issues at different tiered levels of common failureaspects. Using a quality analysis, the fault isolation server mayisolate an identified data communications quality issue to a particularzone or plurality of zones in the data communications center based onthe endpoint data and the server data. For instance, in response to adetermination at a first analysis level of the quality analysis, thatthe quality issue affects both inbound and outbound data communications,the fault isolation server may initiate a second analysis level of thequality analysis to further identify the source of the datacommunications quality issue. At the second analysis level, the faultisolation server may identify a number of end-point device extensions(e.g., associated with a client-entity server in a PaaS systemenvironment) that are affected by the data communications quality issue,and determine at a third analysis level a number of endpoint locationsor LANs that are affected by the data communications quality issue. Inresponse to a determination that one or some extensions in the datacommunications center system are experiencing the data communicationsquality issue, the fault isolation server may isolate the datacommunications quality issue to a first zone of the plurality of zones,where the first zone includes a LAN or another circuit/node under thecontrol of a remote server (such as a client-specific server). Inresponse to isolating the data communications quality issue to the firstzone, the fault isolation server may initiate an upstream faultisolation process starting from a particular endpoint to identify asource of the data communications quality issue.

PaaS and SaaS are exemplified in the context of data communicationscenters. For example, PaaS refers to or includes a category of cloudcomputing services that provide a platform allowing customers todevelop, run, and manage applications without the complexity of buildingand maintaining the infrastructure typically associated with developingand launching an application. PaaS can be delivered with a SaaSfunctionality as a public cloud service from a provider, where theconsumer controls software deployment with minimal configurationoptions, and the provider provides the networks, servers, storage, OS,‘middleware’ (e.g. Java runtime, .NET runtime, integration, etc.),database and other services to host the consumer's application.Similarly, PaaS can be delivered as a private service (software orappliance) inside the firewall, or as software deployed on a publicinfrastructure as a service. For further information regarding PaaS,reference may be made to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/240,391, aswell as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/240,457, which are fullyincorporated by reference.

In response to a determination by the fault isolation server that allextensions in the data communications center with a same local areanetwork (LAN) are experiencing the data communications quality issue,the fault isolation server may isolate the data communications qualityissue to a first zone of the plurality of zones or a second zone of theplurality of zones. As described herein, the second zone includes aconnection between the LAN and the data communications server. Inresponse to isolating the issue to the first or second zone, the faultisolation server may initiate an upstream fault isolation processstarting from the network switch to isolate the data communicationsquality issue. If, on the other hand, the fault isolation serverdetermines that a plurality of extensions on different LANs in the datacommunications center are affected by the data communications qualityissue, the fault isolation server may isolate the data communicationsquality issues to a third zone or a fourth zone. The third zone includesa connection between the data communications server and a carrier of thedata communications center, and the fourth zone includes a connectionbetween the carrier and a public switched telephone network (PSTN). Inresponse to such a determination, the fault isolation server mayinitiate a fourth analysis level of the data communications qualityanalysis in response to the determination that the data communicationsquality issue is isolated to zones three or four.

The fault isolation server may perform subsequent analysis to isolate afault in the data communications center based on a previousdetermination. For instance, in response to a determination at a firstanalysis level of the data communications quality analysis that the datacommunications quality issue affects inbound data communications oroutbound data communications (but not both), the fault isolation servermay initiate a fourth analysis level of the data communications qualityanalysis. In the fourth analysis level, the fault isolation server maydetermine if the data communications quality issues are reproducibleboth on network, off network, or on and off network. On-network refersto or includes data communications between data communicationsendpoints. Off-network refers to or includes data communicationsdirectly to or from data communications service provider endpoints andPSTN or endpoints outside of the data communications center, such ascell phones. In response to a determination at the fourth analysis levelthat the data communications quality issues are reproducible both on andoff network, the fault isolation server may isolate the datacommunications quality issue to the first zone or the second zone.Additionally and/or alternatively, in response to a determination at thefourth analysis level that the data communications quality issues arereproducible only off network, the fault isolation server may isolatethe data communications quality issue to the third zone or the fourthzone.

In another specific example, the fault isolation server may isolate anidentified termination issue to a particular zone or plurality of zonesin the data communications center based on the endpoint data and theserver data, and using a data communications termination analysis. Forinstance, the fault isolation server may initiate a second analysislevel of the termination analysis in response to a determination thatthe termination issue is intermittent. Moreover, the fault isolationserver may initiate a fourth analysis level of the termination analysisin response to a determination that both inbound and outbound datacommunications do not establish a connection, or that only inbound datacommunications do not establish a connection. At the fourth analysislevel, the fault isolation server may determine wither the terminationissue may be reproduced on-network and off-network, where on-networkrefers to or includes data communications between network endpoints(e.g., endpoints within the data communications center), and off-networkrefers to or includes data communications between network endpoints andPSTN or non-network endpoints (e.g., endpoints that are outside of thedata communications center), such as cell phones. In response to adetermination by the fault isolation server (at the fourth analysislevel) that the termination issue is experiencing both on and offnetwork, the fault isolation server may force inbound datacommunications to voicemail and perform the fourth analysis level again.If data communications still do not establish, the fault isolationserver may isolate the termination issue to the third zone. In contrast,in response to a determination (at the fourth analysis level) that onlyoff-network data communications are affected by the termination issue,the fault isolation server may isolate the issue to the third zone andprompt an end-user of the fault isolation server to contact a providerof the data communications center to resolve the issue.

Additionally and/or alternatively, if at the fourth level analysis, thefault isolation server determines that data communications establishonce inbound data communications are forced to voicemail, then the faultisolation server may isolate the termination issue to the first zone orthe second zone and initiate a third analysis level of the terminationanalysis. In yet further examples, if at the fourth analysis level , thefault isolation server determines that both on and off network datacommunications experience intermittent termination issues, then thefault isolation server may isolate the termination issue to the firstzone or the second zone and initiate a fifth analysis level of thetermination analysis in response. At the fifth analysis level, the faultisolation server may determine if all or some areas are experiencingdata communications termination issues. In response to a determination(at the fifth analysis level) that all areas are experiencing issues,the fault isolation server may isolate the data communicationstermination issue to the first zone, the second zone, or the third zoneof the data communications center, and initiate a fourth analysis levelof the termination analysis. In response to a determination (at thefifth analysis level) that only some or specific areas of the datacommunications center are affected by the termination issue, the faultisolation server may isolate the termination issue to the third zone orthe fourth zone, and initiate a fourth analysis level (e.g., repeat thefourth analysis level) of the termination analysis. Yet further, inresponse to a determination (at the fifth analysis level) that onlyinternational data communications are affected by the termination issue,the fault isolation server may isolate the data communicationstermination issue to the third zone and prompt an end-user of the faultisolation server to verify international data communications optionsestablished for the data communications center.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system forisolating faults in a data communications center, consistent withembodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in the upper partof FIG. 1 , various servers may be included in the data communicationscenter. These servers may implement fault isolation as illustrated inthe lower part of FIG. 1 .

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the example data communications centerincludes a data communication server 110 configured to provide datacommunications for a plurality of endpoint devices 152, 154, 156, 162,164, and 166 connected in one or more data networks 130 and 140. Theendpoint devices may include data communications-enabled devicesincluding IP phones, smart phones, tablets, and/or desktop computers,plain old telephone service (POTS) telephones, and cellular-capabledevices, among others. Each endpoint device is respectively associatedwith an account of a respective client. Endpoint devices may beassociated with a particular client account by registering the endpointdevice with a particular client account serviced by the datacommunications server. Registered devices for each client account may belisted in a respective account settings file (not shown) stored by thedata communications servers 110. In this example, endpoint devices 152,154, and 156 are associated with in an account 150 for a first client Aand endpoint devices 162, 164, and 166 are associated with in an account160 for a second client B.

The system includes one or more processing circuits configured toimplement client-specific control engines 120, which are configured toadjust the data communications provided for each client accountaccording to a respective set of control directives. For instance, theclient-specific control engines 120 may adjust routing of a datacommunication for a client account by generating client-specific sets ofcontrol data to the data communications server 110. The client-specificcontrol engines 120 communicate the client-specific control data to thedata communications server(s) using an interface protocol having aninstruction format that is independent of an instruction format used toimplement the client specific control engines 120 and/or client-specificcontrol directives.

Different embodiments may implement the client-specific control engines120 in various locations. For example, client-specific control engines120 for one or more client accounts may be implemented in a centralserver connected to, or incorporated with, the data communicationsserver(s) 110. Additionally or alternatively, one or moreclient-specific control engine 120 may be implemented by one or moreprocessing circuits maintained by the client (e.g., server/database168). Similarly, the control directives may be stored locally within theclient-specific control engines, or stored remotely (e.g., in acentralized database, in a database maintained by the client or acombination thereof).

As previously described, client-specific control engines may be used tofacilitate adjustment of a variety of remote services including, forexample, communications services such as VoIP calls, audio and/or videoconferencing, IPBX exchange servers, packet switching, chat, messaging,and traffic management as well as website hosting, remote data storage,management of remote computing services, and management of virtualcomputing environments, among other examples. One or more of suchservices may be provided, for example, by a cloud computing networkhaving one or more servers configurable for a plurality of clients.

As illustrated in the lower portion of FIG. 1 , the data communicationsserver 110 and/or the fault isolation server 167 may partition the datacommunications center into a plurality of zones. A first zone (e.g.,Zone 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 ) may cover the connection from the datacommunications endpoint 141 to a router 143, modem or gateway. This areaincludes the entirety of a Local Area Network or LAN. A second zone(e.g., Zone 2 illustrated in FIG. 1 ), can be selected to cover theconnection between the LAN and the data communications server(s) 145.This zone includes the physical connection and signaling that passesthrough the Internet Service Provider or ISP. A third zone (e.g., Zone 3illustrated in FIG. 3 ) can cover the connection between the datacommunications servers 145 and the data communications carriers 147. Aforth zone (e.g., Zone 4 illustrated in FIG. 4 ) encompasses theconnection between the data communications carriers 147 and the PublicSwitched Telephone Network (PSTN) 149. This area includes the receivingparty's local telephone service provider. As discussed further herein,the data communications server 110 and/or the fault isolation server 167may isolate a fault within the data communications center among one, ora few, of the various zones illustrated in order to more efficientlyisolate data communications termination issues, data communicationsquality issues, and/or other issues relating to data communicationsservices. In doing so, the fault isolation server 167 may obtain serverdata from the data communications server(s) 110, as well as endpointdata from various endpoints (e.g., 141, 143, 145, 147, and/or 149). Insome examples, the fault isolation server 167 may also obtain userinput, such as responses to inquiries throughout the fault isolationanalysis.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an example system for providingcommunications services for endpoints of a plurality of client accounts,consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure. The systemincludes a PaaS computing server 220 configurable to provide one or morecommunications services for a plurality of endpoint devices 262, 264,and 266 connected in a data network 250. The endpoint devices mayinclude communications-enabled devices, as described herein, and eachendpoint device may be respectively associated with an account of arespective client.

The PaaS computing server 220 and client-specific control engines 230may be implemented using various circuit arrangements. Block 270 showsan example implementation of a PaaS computing server configured toprovide an IPBX service for a client. The example computing server 270includes one or more IPBX server(s) 272 configured to establish anddirect data communications for a plurality of endpoints of a customeraccount. Interface circuit 274 is configured to allow different clientspecific control engines to communicate with the PaaS computing server220 via a common programming language. As described further herein, thePaaS computing server 220 may further include a fault detection circuit276 configured to isolate the location of a fault within the datacommunications center to one or a number of zones. In some examples, thePaaS computing server 220 may perform a particular analytical evaluationof data stored in the service provider database 210 in order to isolatethe location of the fault to a particular zone.

FIG. 3 illustrates a process for fault isolation, consistent with thepresent disclosure. Particularly, FIG. 3 illustrates processes executedby and/or on behalf of a data communications server (such as by a faultisolation server) to analyze the root cause of data communicationsquality issues. Initially, the method may include the fault isolationserver identifying if the issue being reported is related to datacommunications quality or data communications termination. Datacommunications quality refers to or includes data communications thatare completed between two parties but experience adverse issues with thetiming or quality of data transmission. These include dropped datacommunications, static, and garbled, choppy or one-way audio. Datacommunications termination issues refer to or include datacommunications that are not completed on either one leg of the datacommunications or both. This includes the inability to receive inbounddata communications, the inability to dial outbound entirely, and theinability to dial a specific area code or region. FIG. 3 illustrates theprocesses performed by the fault isolation server to isolate the rootcause of data communications quality issues.

As illustrated at 301, the fault isolation server may determine if alldata communications are experiencing data communications quality issues,or if only inbound or outbound data communications are affected. At 303,if both inbound and outbound data communications are experiencingissues, then the fault isolation server is configured and arranged toisolate the fault to zones 1 or 2 (at block 309) and the process maycontinue to 315. At 305, if the fault isolation server identifies thatdata communications quality issues only occur when communicationrecording (e.g., call recording) is enabled and client bandwidth isacceptable, then the fault isolation server is configured and arrangedto isolate the fault to zone 3 (at block 313) and the fault isolationserver prompts the end user to contact the provider of the datacommunications service. At 307, if the fault isolation server identifiesthat only inbound or outbound data communications are experiencing datacommunications quality issues, the fault isolation server may furtherisolate the fault to either zone 3 or zone 4 (at block 311) and proceedto box 329.

At 315, the fault isolation server may identify how many extensions areexperiencing data communications quality issues, and how many locationsare experiencing data communications quality issues. At 317, the faultisolation server may identify that one or some extensions areexperiencing issues, and at 323 isolate the fault to zone 1 (e.g., theLAN). In such an example, the fault isolation server may proceed withtroubleshooting, starting from various endpoint(s) and then movingupstream. At 319, if the fault isolation server identifies that allextensions are experiencing issues within the same LAN, then the faultisolation server may isolate the fault to zones 1 or 2 at 325. The datacommunications server may then proceed with troubleshooting startingfrom the network switch and then moving upstream.

At 321, the fault isolation server may identify that all extensions areexperiencing issues but are on different LANs. In such examples, thefault isolation server may identify at 327 that the issue is most likelyisolated to Zones 3 or 4, and proceed to 329 to further isolate thefault.

At 329, the fault isolation server may identify whether the issue can bereproduced on-network and/or off-network. At 331, if the fault isolationserver determines that both on and off network data communications areexperiencing issues, then the issue is isolated down to zones 1 or 2 (atblock 335) and the fault isolation server returns to box 301 for furtherisolation. At 333, if the fault isolation server determines that onlyoff network data communications are experiencing issues, then the issueis isolated to zones 3 or 4 (at block 337) and at 339 the faultisolation server notifies the end user to contact the datacommunications provider for assistance.

FIG. 4 illustrates a process for fault isolation, consistent with thepresent disclosure. Particularly, FIG. 4 illustrates processes executedby and/or on behalf of a fault isolation server to analyze root cause(s)of data communications termination issues. Initially, at 401, the faultisolation server may check and confirm various high-level issues. Forinstance, at 405 the fault isolation server may identify if the deviceis activated. If it is not, at 413 the fault isolation server may promptfor activation of the device. Similarly, at 403, the fault isolationserver may identify if Do Not Disturb (DND) or other forwarding rulesare enabled on the endpoint device. If yes, at 409 the fault isolationserver may prompt an end-user to disable them and then proceed.

Next, at 407, the fault isolation server may identify if the terminationissues are intermittent. If yes, then at 411 the fault isolation servermay identify that the issue is isolated to zones 1 or 2 and prompt theend user to proceed with troubleshooting. At 415, the fault isolationserver may identify if all data communications are experiencingtermination issues. At 417, if both inbound and outbound datacommunications are not establishing a connection, then the faultisolation server may continue to 427 for further probing. At 419, if itis determined that only inbound data communications are not establishinga connection, then the fault isolation server may continue to 427 tofurther isolate the issue. However, at 421, if it is determined thatonly outbound data communications are not establishing a connection,then the fault isolation server may continue to 425 to further isolatethe issue. At 425, the fault isolation server may also check thatappropriate outbound data communications options are selected in thedata communications provider's account manager and that the end-user isentering contact information (e.g., dialing numbers) correctly.

At 427, the fault isolation server may determine if the issue can bereproduced on-network and/or off-network. At 429, if both on and offnetwork data communications are experiencing issues, then the faultisolation server may force inbound data communications to voicemail inthe account manager and re-test at 435. At 439, if data communicationsdo not establish, the issue is isolated to zone 3 at block 441 and thefault isolation server instructs the end-user to contact the datacommunications provider for support. At 437, if data communicationsestablish, then the issue is isolated to zones 1 or 2 at block 443,which requires further probing. In such examples, the fault isolationserver proceeds to 445 for isolation. If testing outbound datacommunications only, forcing the data communications to voicemail is notapplicable, and the data communications provider should be contacted.If, at block 431 only off-network data communications are experiencingissues, then the fault isolation server isolates the issue to zones 3 or4 at block 461, and the end-user is prompted to contact the datacommunications provider for support. If, at block 433, both on and offnetwork data communications experience intermittent issues, then thefault isolation server isolates the issue to zones 1 or 2 at block 463.In such examples, the fault isolation server prompts the user to proceedwith troubleshooting and to double-check the firewall.

As discussed previously, if forcing inbound data communications tovoicemail and retesting at block 435 results in data communicationsbeing established, then at block 445 the fault isolation server maydetermine the extensions and locations affected by the issue. If, atblock 449, all extensions are experiencing issues within the same LAN,then the fault isolation server isolates the issue to zones 1 or 2 andthe end-user is instructed to proceed with troubleshooting starting fromthe network switch, then move upstream. If, at block 451, the faultisolation server determines that all extensions are experiencing issuesbut are on different LANs, then the issue is isolated to zones 1 or 2 atblock 457 and the end-user is instructed to proceed with troubleshootingstarting from the router and moving upstream. If, at block 447, thefault isolation server determines that some or one extension isexperiencing issues, then the issue is isolated to zone 1 at block 490and the end-user is instructed to proceed with troubleshooting startingfrom the endpoint then moving upstream.

If the fault isolation server determines at block 421 that only outbounddata communications are experiencing termination issues, at block 425the fault isolation server may determine if all or some areas areexperiencing issues. At block 461, if all areas are experiencing issues,then the issue is isolated to zones 1, 2, or 3 and the analysis returnsto block 427 for further isolation. At block 461, if only some orspecific contacts or phone number areas (e.g., area codes) areexperiencing issues, then the issue is isolated to zones 3 or 4 andagain, the analysis returns to block 427 for further isolation. If,however, at block 470, only international data communications areexperiencing issues, then the issue is isolated to zone 3 (at block 471)and the fault isolation server prompts the end-user to check ifinternational data communications is enabled via outbound datacommunications options, and that the end-user is entering theinternational contact information (e.g., phone number) correctly. If theissue still remains, then the end-user is prompted to contact the datacommunications provider for support.

Additional probing questions may be assessed by the fault isolationserver. For instance, questions pertaining to the LAN may includeassessing when the issues started happening. If there were no issuespreviously, understanding the timing when symptoms began occurring mayhelp isolate the issue. Additional analyses pertaining to the LAN mayinclude assessing if anything recently changed on the network, such asfirmware updates, new network devices, operating system (OS), internetservice provider (ISP), etc. If symptoms began occurring after recentchanges, the changes could be the root cause of the data communicationsquality or termination issue. Similarly, assessments pertaining to thephone service may include assessing if the virtual office desktop isused to make or receive data communications. If so, the fault isolationserver may analyze if the same issues exist on the desk phone.

As described herein, various actions may be taken based on thedetermined source or sources of a data communications quality ortermination issue. For instance, in response to a determination that adata communications quality or termination issue likely originates fromzones 3 and/or 4, instructions may be provided (such as via a graphicaluser interface or other interactive means) for an end-user to contact asupport number for additional fault isolation and/or identification. Incertain embodiments, the server executing the fault isolation process(such as a dedicated data communications server) may generate a reportfor the particular quality and/or termination issue, includinginformation and/or data obtained during the fault isolation process. Inadditional embodiments, the fault isolation server may schedule serviceto repair a particular component of the data communications center.

In another example embodiment, the fault isolation server may instructan end-user (via a graphical user interface, voice message, textmessage, SMS message, or other interactive interface) to take particularaction in response to isolation of the data communications quality issueand/or data communications termination issue. For instance, in responseto isolating a quality and/or termination issue to zones 1 or 2, thefault isolation server may prompt the end-user to check that firewallsettings are not preventing origination of data communications, orprompt the end-user to verify that numbers are entered correctly (e.g.,including area code, country code, and phone number, etc.).

In various embodiments, the data communications provider may implement anumber of processes dependent upon the isolation of the quality and/ortermination issue. For instance, in response to a determination that thequality and/or termination issue(s) may include a particular datacommunications server, the data communications provider may direct thatdata communications should be re-routed to a different datacommunications server until the issue is resolved. Additionally and/oralternatively, the data communications provider may notify end-usersthat quality and/or termination issues may be experienced if datacommunications are not re-routed, the end-user being provided with anoption to re-route data communications to a different datacommunications server until the issue is resolved or to withstand thepotential quality and/or termination issues. The data communicationsprovider may generate reports detailing such issues and/or forcommunication with the PSTN to troubleshoot identified issues, and insome instances, configure the data communications center to preventsimilar quality or termination issues.

MORE DETAILED AND/OR EXPERIMENTAL EMBODIMENTS

More detailed and/or experimental embodiments of the present disclosureare provided. In such examples, there are four zones that define wherean issue with endpoints can lie, explained in further detail below.Fault isolation is the method of eliminating these zones until a singlezone remains. To eliminate these zones, we ask a series of probingquestions that are designed to efficiently and accurately determineprobable root cause, then ask follow up questions to outline whatactions need to be taken to resolve the issue.

Not all issues can be fixed by an end-user, however. In the event thatan issue is isolated to zones 3 or 4, users will have to contact asupport agent for assistance. However, through the analysis provided,users will have ample information available so that trouble shootingwith a support agent may be expedited.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , four zones were identified for isolation ofthe root cause of data communications quality/termination issues. Zone 1covers the connection from the endpoint to the user's router, modem orgateway. This area includes the entirety of the user's Local AreaNetwork or LAN. Zone 2 covers the connection between the user's LAN andthe communication service provider's servers. Although this zone beginswith the user's LAN,

LAN related issues would not be considered as being in this zone. Zone 2includes the physical connection and signaling that passes through theuser's Internet Service Provider or ISP. Zone 3 covers the connectionbetween the communication service provider's servers and thecommunication service provider's carriers. Zone 4 encompasses theconnection between the communication service provider's carriers and thePublic Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). This area includes thereceiving party's local telephone service provider.

The first step in the analysis is to try and determine whether the issuebeing reported is related to data communications quality or if it isdealing with data communications termination. Data communicationsquality refers to or includes data communications that are completedbetween two parties, but experience issues with the quality ortimeliness of transmission. These include dropped data communications,static, and garbled, choppy or one-way audio. Data communicationstermination refers to or includes data communications that are notcompleted on either one leg of the data communications or both. Thisincludes the inability to receive inbound data communications, theinability to dial outbound entirely, and the inability to dial aspecific area code or region.

A series of data communications quality probing questions may be asked.Are all data communications experiencing communications quality issues?Or just inbound data communications or outbound data communications? Ifboth inbound and outbound data communications are experiencing issues,then it is most likely isolated to zones 1 or 2. Further probing isrequired to better isolate the issue so proceed to the next question. Ifissues only occur when data communications recording is enabled and theuser's bandwidth looks good, then the communications quality issue ismost likely an issue in zone 3 and the next step is to contact thesupport center of the data communications provider. If only inbound oronly outbound data communications are experiencing issues, zones 1 and 2can be eliminated. The issue is likely not an issue on the serviceprovider's endpoint or the user's LAN. The process can proceed toisolate down to either zone 3 or zone 4.

At the second and third steps of the quality probing questions, it isdetermined if all extensions affected, namely if one, some, or alllocations/LANs are affected. If one or some extensions are experiencingissues, then it is most likely isolated to zone 1. Proceed withtroubleshooting, starting from the endpoint(s) and then moving upstream.If all extensions are experiencing issues within the same Local AreaNetwork, then it is most likely isolated to zones 1 or 2. Proceed withtroubleshooting starting from the network switch and then movingupstream. If all extensions are experiencing issues but are on differentLANs, it is most likely isolated to zones 3 or 4, and the processproceeds to further isolate the issue.

At the fourth step of the quality probing questions, it is determined ifthe issue can be reproduced on-network and/or off-network. On-Networkrefers to data communications between endpoints of the communicationsservice provider. Off-network refers to data communications between thecommunications service provider and PSTN or endpoints other thanendpoints of the communications service provider, such as cell phones.If both on and off network data communications are experiencing issues,then the issue is isolated down to zones 1 or 2. The quality probingquestions then proceed back to the first step to further isolate theissue. If only off network data communications are experiencing issues,then it is most likely isolated to zones 3 or 4, and the user. At thispoint, the user is prompted to contact the communications serviceprovider for assistance.

A series of data communications termination probing questions may beasked. First, the user may be prompted to check and confirm that thefollowing are not an issue: Is the device activated? If not, thenproceed with activation. Are the CT issues that the user is experiencingintermittent? If yes, the issue is most likely isolated to zones 1 or 2.Proceed with troubleshooting. Is Do Not Disturb (DND) or otherforwarding rules on the endpoint enabled? If yes, disable them and thenproceed to the second step.

At the second step, it is determined if all data communications areexperiencing termination issues. Namely, it is determined if inbounddata communications, outbound data communications, or both inbound andoutbound data communications are experiencing termination issues. Ifboth inbound and outbound data communications are not establishing aconnection, then the analysis proceeds to the fourth step for furtherprobing. If only inbound data communications are not establishing aconnection, then the analysis proceeds to the fourth step to furtherisolate the issue. If only outbound data communications are notestablishing a connection, then the analysis proceeds to the fifth stepto further isolate the issue. The user is also prompted to check thatappropriate outbound data options are selected and that the user isdialing the numbers correctly.

At the third step of the termination analysis, it is determined if allextensions are affected. In particular, it is determined if one or someof the extensions are affected. If all extensions are experiencingissues within the same Local Area Network (LAN), then the issue is mostlikely isolated to zones 1 or 2. The termination analysis proceeds withtroubleshooting starting from the network switch, then moves upstream.If all extensions are experiencing issues but are on different LANs,then the issue is most likely isolated to zone 1 or zone 2. Troubleshootstarting from the router and moving upstream. If some or one extensionis experiencing issues, then the issue is most likely isolated to zone1. The termination analysis proceeds with troubleshooting starting fromthe endpoint then moving upstream.

At the fourth step of the termination analysis, it is determined if thetermination issue can be reproduced issue on-network and/or off-network.On-network refers to data communications between endpoints of the datacommunications service provider. Off-network refers to datacommunications between the data communications service provider and PSTNor between endpoints other than the data communications serviceprovider, such as cell phones. If both on and off network datacommunications are experiencing issues, then the termination analysisforces inbound data communications to voicemail and the networkcommunications are re-tested. If data communications do not establish,the issue has been isolated to zone 3 and the user is prompted tocontact the data communications service provider. If data communicationsestablish, then the termination issue can be an issue in zones 1 or 2which prompts further probing. The user is prompted to go back to thethird step of the termination analysis to further isolate the issue. Iftesting outbound data communications only, forcing the datacommunications to voicemail is not applicable, and the user is promptedto contact the data communications service provider for support. If onlyoff-network data communications are experiencing issues, then it is mostlikely isolated to zones 3 or 4, and the user is prompted to contact thedata communications service provider for support. If both on and offnetwork data communications experience intermittent issues, then theissue can be isolated to zones 1 or 2.

At the fifth step of the termination analysis, it is determined if allor some areas are experiencing issues. If all areas are experiencingissues, then it can be an issue in zones 1, 2, or 3. The user isprompted to go back to the fourth step of the termination analysis tofurther isolate the issue. If only some or specific area codes areexperiencing issues, then the issue is most likely isolated to zones 3or 4. The user is prompted to go back to the fourth step of thetermination analysis to further isolate the issue. If only internationaldata communications are experiencing issues, then the issue is mostlikely an issue in zone 3. The user is prompted to check ifinternational data communications is enabled via outbound datacommunications options, and to ensure that they are dialing theinternational number correctly. If the issue remains, then the user isprompted to contact the data communications service provider.

Additional probing questions may be asked. Questions pertaining to theuser's LAN may be asked, such as when did this start happening? If therewere no issues previously, understanding the timing when symptoms beganoccurring will help isolate the issue. Has anything recently changed onthe user's network? (e.g., Firmware Updates, New Network Devices, OS,ISP, etc.) If symptoms began occurring after recent changes, that couldbe the root cause of the quality or termination issue. Specific probingquestions pertaining to the user's voice phone service may be asked,such as are you using a virtual office desktop to make/receive datacommunications? If so, do you experience the same issues on the deskphone? Data communications initiated or received through virtual officedesktops may be handled differently than data communications through adesk phone. Did you check communications options? (e.g., enableinternational data communications, disable outbound data communications,preferred CODEC, etc.). The user may be prompted to toggle thesesettings to further isolate the root issue. If the user experiencesconstant data communications quality problems and have isolated theissue to zone 1, then the user is prompted to analyze network integrity,run speed tests to check for packet loss, jitter, or bandwidth problemswww.speedtest.net (run multiple times for consistent data), run anetwork utility application, run PingPlotter/WinMTR to the regional datacenter. The user may also be prompted to verify router settings (SIPALG, Firewall, etc.), and to ensure that SIP ALG is disabled. The usermay also be prompted to verify that endpoints are using the correct VLANif applicable.

If data communications quality problems are intermittent, then the useris prompted to follow the above steps as normal, and also to doublecheck that the Quality of Service (QoS) profiles are correctlyconfigured and enabled, and to note the time of day of the intermittentquality problems.

Various blocks, modules or other circuits may be implemented to carryout one or more of the operations and activities described herein and/orshown in the figures. As examples, the Specification describes and/orillustrates aspects useful for implementing the claimed disclosure byway of various circuits or circuitry using terms such as blocks,modules, device, system, unit, controller, and the like. In thesecontexts, a “block” (also sometimes “logic circuitry,” or “module”) isor includes a circuit that carries out one or more of these or relatedoperations/activities (e.g., a data communications control circuit). Forexample, in certain ones of the above-discussed embodiments, one or moreblocks are discrete logic circuits, computer processing circuits, orprogrammable logic circuits configured and arranged for implementingthese operations/activities, as in the blocks shown in the figures.Also, in certain ones of the above-discussed embodiments, an “endpointdevice” refers to or includes data communications circuitry configuredand arranged for implementing the transmission and/or receipt of datacommunications. Examples of endpoint devices may include for example, IPphones, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers, plain old telephoneservice (POTS) telephones, and cellular-capable devices among otherexample devices. It will also be appreciated that such fault detectionanalysis processing can be carried out by one or more datacommunications servers configured with software programming to carry outthe processes exemplified in the present disclosure.

Similarly, it will be apparent that a server (e.g., providing acorresponding software platform) includes a computer processing circuitthat is configured to provide services to other circuit-based devices.Moreover, an endpoint device (or endpoint) includes a communicationcircuit such as a radio frequency (RF) receiver/transmitter anduser-interface, and (computer) processing circuits which are configuredto establish data communication sessions with other endpoint devices(e.g., personal computers, IP-enabled mobile phones, and tabletcomputers). In certain embodiments, such a processing circuit is one ormore computer processing circuits programmed to execute a set (or sets)of instructions (and/or configuration data). The instructions (and/orconfiguration data) can be in the form of software stored in andaccessible from a memory circuit, and where such circuits are directlyassociated with one or more algorithms (or processes), the activitiespertaining to such algorithms are not necessarily limited to thespecific flows such as shown in the flow charts illustrated in thefigures (e.g., where a circuit is programmed to perform the relatedsteps, functions, operations, activities, etc., the flow charts aremerely specific detailed examples). The skilled artisan would alsoappreciate that different (e.g., first and second) modules can include acombination of a central processing unit (CPU) hardware-based circuitryand a set of computer-executable instructions, in which the first moduleincludes a first CPU hardware circuit with one set of instructions andthe second module includes a second CPU hardware circuit with anotherset of instructions.

Certain embodiments are directed to a computer program product (e.g.,nonvolatile memory device), which includes a machine orcomputer-readable medium having stored thereon, instructions which maybe executed by a computer (or other electronic device) that includes acomputer processor circuit to perform these operations/activities. Forexample, these instructions reflect activities or data flows as may beexemplified in figures, flow charts, and the detailed description.

Based upon the above discussion and illustrations, those skilled in theart will readily recognize that various modifications and changes may bemade to the various embodiments without strictly following the exemplaryembodiments and applications illustrated and described herein. Forexample, although aspects and features may in some cases be described inindividual figures, it will be appreciated that features from one figurecan be combined with features of another figure even though thecombination is not explicitly shown or explicitly described as acombination. Such modifications do not depart from the true spirit andscope of various aspects of the disclosure, including aspects set forthin the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for use in a data communications server including computer processing circuitry to isolate quality or termination issues in a data communications center which includes a plurality of communication devices, each of the plurality of communication devices including circuitry for communicating data, the method comprising: receiving from a plurality of endpoint devices of the plurality of communication devices communicatively coupled to the data communications server in the data communications center, endpoint data relating to data communications routed via the data communications server; assessing communication issues, including data communications quality and data communications termination issues, based on the endpoint data and on server data relating to the routed data communications; and identifying at least one zone among a plurality of zones of the data communications center associated with the communication issues based on the server data and the endpoint data, by iteratively analyzing the communications issues and at different tiered levels of common failure aspects and in response isolating the communication issues to the identified at least one zone based on a tiered fault isolation process and an indication of at least one of: an inability to receive inbound data communications, an inability to initiate outbound data communications, and an inability to communicate a specific area code or region for data communications, wherein the plurality of zones are associated with a network-based relationship of connectivity between different ones of the plurality of communication devices, the data communications quality issues are associated with timing and quality of data transmission of data communications completed between at least two parties, and the data communications termination issues are associated with data communications which are uncompleted on at least one leg of the data communications.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communications server, in response to identifying the at least one zone, schedules service for the identified zone.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communications server, in response to identifying the at least one zone, re-routes data communications in the data communications center until the data communication quality or data communication termination issue is resolved.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communications server, in response to identifying the at least one zone, provides an end-user of the data communications center an option to re-route data communications until the data communications quality or data communications termination issue is resolved.
 5. The method of claim 1, further including retrieving the server data routed by the data communications server.
 6. A method for use in a data communications server including computer processing circuitry to isolate quality or termination issues in a data communications center which includes a plurality of communication devices, each of the plurality of communication devices including circuitry for communicating data, the method comprising: receiving from a plurality of endpoint devices of the plurality of communication devices communicatively coupled to the data communications server in the data communications center, endpoint data relating to data communications routed via the data communications server; assessing communication issues, including data communications quality and data communications termination issues, based on the endpoint data and on server data relating to the routed data communications; and identifying at least one zone among a plurality of zones of the data communications center associated with the communication issues based on the server data and the endpoint data, by iteratively analyzing the communications issues and at different tiered levels of common failure aspects and in response isolating the communication issues to the identified at least one zone, wherein the plurality of zones are associated with a network-based relationship of connectivity between different ones of the plurality of communication devices, the data communications quality issues are associated with timing and quality of data transmission of data communications completed between at least two parties, and the data communications termination issues are associated with data communications which are uncompleted on at least one leg of the data communications, wherein the data communications server further isolates quality or termination issues in a data communications center, by initiating a tiered fault isolation process in response to identification of at least one of: an inability to receive inbound Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, an inability to dial outbound VoIP calls, and an inability to dial a specific area code or region for VoIP calls.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the tiered fault isolation process includes analyzing: the communication issues being associated with inbound data communications and outbound data communication or one of inbound data communications and outbound data communications. extensions associated with the communication issues, and whether the communication issues occur on-network, off-network, or both.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the tiered fault isolation process includes analyzing extensions associated with the communication issues.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the tiered fault isolation process includes analyzing whether the communication issues occur on-network, off-network, or both.
 10. The method of claim 6, wherein the tiered fault isolation process includes analyzing multiple attributes including two of the following three: the communication issues being associated with inbound data communications and outbound data communication or one of inbound data communications and outbound data communications, extensions associated with the communication issues, and whether the communication issues occur on-network, off-network, or both.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communications server isolates quality or termination issues in the data communications center by correlating an incidence of identified data communications quality or data communications termination issues to a hardware or software change in the data communications center.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the data communications server isolates quality or termination issues in the data communications center by initiating a network integrity analysis in response to a determination that data communications quality issues are present for a threshold period of time and the data communications quality issue is isolated to a zone of the plurality of zones which includes a local area network (LAN).
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the tiered levels correspond with or include: a determination whether the data communications quality issue affects both inbound and outbound data communications; identification of a number of extensions that are affected by the data communications quality issue; and identification of a number of endpoint locations or local area networks (LANs) that are affected by the data communications quality issue.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the tiered levels corresponds with or includes a determination whether the data communications quality issue affects both inbound and outbound data communications.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the tiered levels corresponds with or includes identification of a number of extensions that are affected by the data communications quality issue.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the tiered levels corresponds with or includes identification of a number of endpoint locations or local area networks (LANs) that are affected by the data communications quality issue.
 17. A system including a data communications server having computer processing circuitry to isolate quality or termination issues in a data communications center which includes a plurality of communication devices, each of the plurality of communication devices including circuitry for communicating data, the system comprising: a server to receive, from a plurality of endpoint devices of the plurality of communication devices communicatively coupled to the data communications server in the data communications center, endpoint data relating to data communications routed via the data communications server; and computer processing circuitry to: assess communication issues, including data communications quality and data communications termination issues, based on the endpoint data and on server data relating to the routed data communications; and identify at least one zone among a plurality of zones of the data communications center associated with the communication issues based on the server data and the endpoint data, by iteratively analyzing the communications issues at different tiered levels of common failure aspects based on a tiered fault isolation process and an indication of at least one of: an inability to receive inbound data communications, an inability to initiate outbound data communications, and an inability to communicate a specific area code or region for data communications, and in response isolating the communication issues to the identified at least one zone.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the tiered levels corresponds with or includes identification of a number of endpoint locations or local area networks (LANs) that are affected by the data communications quality issue.
 19. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of zones are associated with a network-based relationship of connectivity between different ones of the plurality of communication devices, the data communications quality issues are associated with timing and quality of data transmission of data communications completed between at least two parties, and the data communications termination issues are associated with data communications which are uncompleted on at least one leg of the data communications. 